The success of Fox News seems to be based on its audience's inability to discern news fact from propaganda. So I guess that's why Steve Doocy assumes that grammar school kids are, like his audience, too stupid to formulate their own opinions.
At the beginning of Wednesday's Fox & Friends "Trouble With Schools" segment Steve Doocy reported that elementary school students are sending lawmakers letters with phrases like OMG "Indiana Mike Pence is a dictator" and "all of Indiana is against you."Doocy explained that, according to the teacher, the students were expressing their views on who should take over the state board of education. The banner framed the Fox message: "Parroting Anti-Pence Rhetoric, Students Write Controversial Essays." In reinforcing this message, Doocy added, "as you can imagine, parents find that hard to believe."
He introduced his guest, Tasha Selliers from Hoosiers for Quality Education. Doocy didn't mention that this group is a PAC that is "funneling money from out-of-state billionaires to state legislative candidates likely to support private-school vouchers."
Engaging in his patented grimaces, Doocy set up the agitprop. He said that the teacher is claiming that the students wrote the letters and she forwarded them to legislators. Scrunching up his face, he asked what she thought about it. Her answer, that her group is "shocked," wasn't surprising. As a "mom," she said that these letters are "offensive" and that no teacher should make a child do this.
Doocy set up the reach around: "So what you're suggesting is that this teacher or teachers we don't know who exactly use these students as political pawns to push their agenda." The banner reinforced the patented Fox controversy: "Classrooom Controversy." She responded "it really looks that way" because the letters have common language and talking points. After Doocy compared language in the letters with a union website, he noted that "it does seem a little coincidental." The banner "Independent Research, Essays Mirror Union Talking Points." Sellers, surprise, surprise agreed because the letters all shared the same "misinformation."
Doocy's voice cracked as he exclaimed "what fifth or sixth grade kid types like that and says those kinds of things, it sounds so adult, it sounds like they're acting as stenographers who want to get a message out." (The visual showed a printed letter) Sellers agreed and speculated that if you asked these kids about the topic, their answers would be different. Doocy asked if the teacher "got in trouble;" but Sellers said that the school department hasn't responded. The banner reinforced the agitprop: Controversial Conclusions: Critics, Students 'Clearly Directed' to Info."
A few questions that weren't addressed by Doocy: How many letters were involved? Were there any that took different positions? Is Doocy assuming that all of the parents support Pence? And if Doocy were dedicated to being "fair & balanced," he could have quoted a student who clearly said he wasn't coached.
Seriously, Steve Doocy, on Fox, talks about "political pawns pushing an agenda." Seriously?
